Scientific Vision of Guru Nanak about the Universe and Stefan Hawking

Hardev Singh Virk

Professor of Eminence, Punjabi University, Patiala, India.
Abstract
Cosmology deals with the problem of the creation of the universe. Almost all religions
have dealt with the problem of creation of the universe from time immemorial in their
sacred texts. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, critically examined the theories
of creation of the universe prevalent in India before his advent, from pre-historic times
to the end of 15th century. The seeds of modern cosmology, namely, the Big-Bang
cosmology are explicitly visible in the sacred writings of Guru Nanak and his
successors, compiled during 1604 in the form of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), the
Sikh holy book.

During 5th Centenary of Guru Nanak, I presented my Paper " Brahmand Di

Rachna: Dharmic ate Vigyanic Pakh" (Scientific and Religious Views on
Creation of Universe) in Punjabi University, Patiala in 1969. Its English version
was presented in a UGC seminar in Delhi Chaired by DR DS Kothari (former
UGC Chairman) in 1974, who advised me to get my book "Brahmand Di
Rachna" translated in Hindi for wider circulation. Veena Watni, a teacher in
HMV Jallandhar, promised to do this work but failed. Recently, a modified
version has been published under the title "Sikh Dharam Ate Vigyan" in 2017
[1-5].
How could Guru Nanak predict the creation of Universe 500 years before
Scientists proposed the Big Bang Theory? is a million dollar question. Dr DS
Chahal (Retired Director of Biotechnology, McGill University, Montreal)
proposed in his book that Guru Nanak was a Natural Philosopher (Scientist)
who proceeded European Scientists by 300 years. Many Scientists are writing
their views after publication of my paper in 1969.

Fig. 1. Guru Nanak (1469-1539)

Guru Nanak was not a Scientist in the modern sense, as understood by our
intellectuals. I found the solution of 'My Predicament' in S. Ramanujan, the
greatest Indian Mathematician, who wrote 3900 Formulae (Theorems) with
answers but no solutions. His worth was recognized by Professor Thomas
Hardy of Cambridge, who invited him to work on a Fellowship, despite all
racial prejudices against this poor Indian young man, who had no university
degree and formal training in Mathematics. He was the youngest Fellow of
Royal Society. His research was interrupted due to first World War and he died
at a very young age of 32 years after his return to India. How he wrote these
complicated formulas, now being used to study Black Holes and String Theory?
His reply: "My equations have no meaning unless it expresses a thought of
God." He received the Solutions to his Theorems in his Visions revealed by the
family Goddess Mahalakshmi of Nammakal.

Fig. 2. Srinivas Ramanujan (1887-1920)

Guru Nanak also claims assertively that the WORD (Shabad or Bani) is
revealed to him by God (Dhur Ki Bani); hence his Visions about Universe
reveal 'The Truth' and are being confirmed by recent Scientific theories like Big
Bang. Do our Universities in Punjab are up to the mark to create 'Awareness'
about Guru Nanak's Scientific Vision?
Evidence of Scientific Vision of Guru Nanak in SGGS: Guru Nanak is
emphatic and believes firmly that there is a CREATOR (U may call him God)
of the Universe. Hence there is no 'Singularity' in Guru Nanak's vision. I quote
some verses from SGGS to establish his viewpoint on Creation of the Universe
[6, 7]:
 ‘God created the Universe by uttering a word.’

kIqw pswau eyko kvwau ] iqs qy hoey lK drIAwau ]

God created the air, from air came water and from water the world
was created. God spirit permeates all the beings.

swcy qy pvnw BieAw pvnY qy jl hoie ] jl qy iqRBvxu swijAw Git

Git joiq smoie ]

Surprisingly, there is a perfect correspondence between the epoch of ‘Big-Bang’

and the creation out of Sunya phase as enunciated by Guru Nanak in Raaga
Maru Solhe, the most beautiful hymn on Sikh Cosmology [8]:

‘For billions of years, there was nothing but utter darkness. There was
neither day nor night, nor moon, nor sun, but the Lord alone sat in
profound trance. Neither there was creation, nor air, nor water. There
were no continents, nor underworlds, nor seven oceans nor rivers, or
the flowing water. There was neither death, nor time. There was no
Brahma, nor Vishnu or Shiva.

When He so willed, He created the world and supported the firmament

without support. He created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and extended
the love of mammon. He founded the continents, solar systems and
underworlds, and from the Absolute self, He became manifest.”

Arbd nrbd DuMDUkwrw [[Drix n ggnw hukmu Apwrw [[

nw idnu rYin n cMdu n sUrju suMn smwiD lgwiedw ]……
Guru Arjun Dev, the fifth Nanak and compiler of SGGS, describes in his well
known composition, Sukhmani (The Psalm of Peace and Happiness), the
myriad forms of creation. The cyclic theory of creation is accepted as a norm in
SGGS [9]:
There are millions and millions of galaxies and solar systems in the
universe. The phenomenon of creation has occurred so many times.
But the one Lord remains forever and ever.”

keI koit KwxI Aru KMf ] keI koit Akws bRhmMf ]

keI koit hoey Avqwr ] keI jugiq kIno ibsQwr]
keI bwr psirE pwswr] sdw sdw ieku eykMkwr]
However, Guru Nanak does not enter into any mathematical rigmaroles to make
an assessment or count of the celestial bodies comprising our Universe. After
quoting the prevalent tradition or information available at that time, Guru Nanak
records his own observations in SGGS in the form of his mystic reverie. He
observes that the cosmos (universe) contains countless number of celestial
bodies. The real number would be known only to the God, the creator of the
Universe [10]:
It cannot be possible to count (number of the celestial bodies in the universe)
because the accounting person may reach the end of his life during counting,
it will still be incomplete.
He further says that the God is the Great,
Who knows the account (of the celestial bodies in the universe).

lyKw hoie q ilKIAY lyKY hoie ivxwsu ] nwnk vfw AwKIAY Awpy jwxY
Awpu ]

Most of the Scientists, including Stafan Hawking, believe in creation out

of 'Nothingness'. Guru Nanak does not want to formulate any hypothesis based
on false assumptions and leaves this question open. The creation process is
started under the command of God, the creator of the universe. The Guru
envisages the creation of the Universe out of ‘Sunya’ which is devoid of matter
but not of energy. Hence, a beautiful analogy with quantum concept of creation
out of nothing, as a vacuum fluctuation, is established in Raga Maru Solhe in
SGGS [11]:
‘The creator was all alone,
He created the air, water, earth and sky;
Even the sun and moon from this Sunya.’

pauxu pwxI suMnY qy swjy ] isRsit aupwie kwieAw gV rwjy ]

suMunhu cMdu sUrju gYxwry]

The riddle of creation of the Universe will remain an enigma for cosmologists
and there is no final word yet in cosmology. About the present theories and
models, we may conclude with a quotation from the Benti Chaupai in Dasam
Granth [12]:
“Everyone explains the creation process according to his intellect,
But no one can tell, O Lord,
How you first created the universe”

Awp AwpnI buiD hY jyqI [ brnq iBMn-iBMn

quih qyqI [
qumrw lKw n jwie pswrw [ikh ibiD sjw pRQm sMswrw [
Albert Einstein and Stefan Hawking: I always consider Einstein as the
greatest Scientist of all times. Stefan Hawking tried to re-interpret his General
Theory of Relativity. He was just 21 when diagnosed for a killer disease of ALS
(motor neuron failure) and doctors gave him 2 years as lease of life. He
survived 55 years in a state of paralysis due to his strong Will Power and
predicted a new class of tiny black holes, yet to be verified experimentally.
Obituary writes ups are pouring in from celebrated Scientists from all over the
globe. Hawking’s children, Lucy, Robert and Tim said in a statement: “We are
deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today. He was a great
scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many
years".
His contemporary and renowned scientist from India Dr Jayant Narlikar
remembered Hawking from his college days when both were studying at
Cambridge. "During our university days, I was told that Hawking had only two
years to live and soon his physical deterioration started but he showed
tremendous determination and willpower and did marvellous work in
astrophysics," Narlikar said.
Stefan Hawking was an Atheist and a non-believer who relied on his
Theoretical predictions without invoking any supernatural deity or creator God.
He wrote there was nothing before Big Bang and Gravity created the Universe.
His other predictions were: Time ends in a Black Hole; these are not dead
bodies but emit radiation, called Hawking Radiation (yet to be detected). Most
of his predictions are yet to be proved; hence he failed to get the Nobel Prize in
Physics. His popular science books are rated The Best for intelligent layman. I
hope Punjabi University, Patiala will undertake the translation of his books in
Punjabi; I offer my services for this job.
Timothy Ferris, author of 'The Science of Liberty' writes: "For legendary
astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who redefined cosmology by proposing that
black holes are mortal, the Nobel Prize for Physics remained elusive as his
theory cannot be observed or verified. Even though his theory is now firmly
accepted in theoretical physics, there was no way to verify if black holes are
mortal." It will take billions of years to observe the explosion of Black Holes
into gamma rays.
Fig. 3. Stefan Hawking in TIFR, Mumbai with String Theorists (D. Gross & Ed Witten)
during an International Conference on String Theory in 2001.
Bibliography
1 HS Virk, Cosmology: Religious & Scientific Aspects, Khoj Patrika,
Punjabi University, Patiala, pp. 150-161, 1969.
2 HS Virk, Cosmology in Science & Religion, Proc. Summer School
History of Science, INSA, New Delhi, 1974.
3 HS Virk, Cosmology in Science & Religion, Journal of Sikh Studies, Vol.
9(2), pp. 19-30, 1982.
4. HS Virk, Cosmological Ideas in Science & Aad Guru Granth Sahib,
Omega: Ind. Journal of Science & Religion, Vol. 3(1), pp. 72-75, 2004.
5. HS Virk, Sikh Dharam Ate Vigyan (Sikh Religion and Science), Panj
Pani Parkashan, D-12 Industrial Area, Phase I, Mohali.
6. SGGS, M1, p.19. (SGGS = Sri Guru Granth Sahib, published by SGPC,
Golden Temple Press, Amritsar. This Holy Book of the Sikh Religion is
treated as a Living Shabad Guru).
7. SGGS, M1, p.3.
8. SGGS, M1, p.1035.
9. SGGS, M5, p.276.
10. SGGS, M1, Jap 22, p. 5.
11. SGGS, M1, p.1037.
12. Guru Gobind Singh, Benati Chaupai, Dasam Granth, Published by Bhai
Chattar Singh - Jeewan Singh, Amritsar, 1902, p.1387.